Present and future: Alyssa Thompson, Jaedyn Shaw, Casey Murphy, Hal Hershfelt mix with numerous newcomers as Emma Hayes sets up transitional USWNT camp

GOAL looks at the five key takeaways from Hayes' roster as the U.S. women's national team gathers for transitional camp

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  Out of Espresso, again

  It's scary to think that the USWNT's Triple Espresso unit is still building chemistry. Prior to last summer's Olympics, the trio of Swanson, Smith and Rodman hadn't started together. It never looked like that in France, but even so, there's still some learning to do even after the Olympic triumph.

  That learning won't happen this camp. It's another USWNT camp - as was the case in the fall - with no Espresso, and, once again, that opens the door for others to show why they deserve a shot. Alyssa Thompson is one player whose taken that chance, having stepped up in the fall. She's joined by youngsters Emma Sears, Ella Stevens, Morgan Weaver and Hannah Bebar - the latter of whom was added to the roster Wednesday to replace Lynn Williams, who has a hamstring issue.

  They have far less USWNT experience than Thompson, who already has a World Cup under her belt, and all three will look to prove that they deserve a spot the next time the A-team in the attack gets together. And then there's Ashley Hatch, a veteran looking to solidify her own place under a still-new coach in Emma Hayes.

  Swanson, Smith and Rodman aren't going anywhere. They'll likely be the key players in the attack for the next few years. This camp, though, is about finding who will be joining them for the ride as the USWNT moves forward.

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  Murphy's chance in GK battle

  Naeher is gone, the legend having retired from international competition, and now the goalkeeping battle begins. The USWNT needs a new No. 1. Step right up, Casey Murphy, this camp is your chance to shine.

  Murphy is the only goalkeeper in the squad with significant USWNT experience, as she's joined by Angelina Anderson, Claudia Dickey and Mandy McGlynn this camp. Murphy might just be the favorite to be the USWNT's No. 1 going forward, with fellow veterans Jane Campbell and Aubrey Kingsbury also expected to be in the mix going forward.

  Replacing Naeher will be no easy task, and whoever does win that job won't necessarily do so in training like this. It'll have to be with sustained, strong performances in games, which was Naeher's calling card during her time as a USWNT star.

  Is this Murphy's time to shine? Can one of the newcomers really push their way into that battle, which will unfold over the next three years? Hayes will be keeping a close eye on the goalkeeping position going forward, beginning with this camp.

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  No Horan, no Lavelle in the midfield

  Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle are two players you can pencil into a USWNT lineup. They aren't here this time around. Horan is excused to focus on her duties at Lyon. Lavelle, meanwhile, is out after recently undergoing ankle surgery. That leaves a very different-looking midfield for this camp, one that could offer a glimpse into what life could look like down the line.

  Sam Coffey is already a USWNT regular, and the world has already seen glimpses of what Jaedyn Shaw can do, either as a No. 10 or forward. Savannah DeMelo, a World Cup veteran, is back in the fold, as is Ashley Sanchez. Add in youngsters Hal Hershfelt, Ally Sentnor and Nealy Martin and you get a unique blend of new and familiar vying for midfield spots.

  Roster turnover is inevitable, even for players such as Horan and Lavelle. They're good enough to fight that turnover off for at least the next few years. Even so, this is a glance into the future into some of the midfield players Hayes thinks can go on and make an impact over the next three years.

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  One eye on the future

  Hayes isn't just coaching for 2025, she's coaching for 2027 and beyond. The World Cup in Brazil is two years away. And to that end, the USWNT are introducing a new Futures Camp designed to bridge the gap between U23 and the senior team.

  That camp features 24 players, all of whom are eligible for the U23 side. Hayes has stressed the disconnect she's seen from the youth national teams to the senior group, and her goal now is to bridge that gap by giving the most talented young players a closer look in this camp.

  That group includes a wide variety of players. There's Gisele Thompson, sister of USWNT starlet Alyssa, who looks like she could be the fullback of the future. Lexi Missimo has spent the last few years developing a legendary college resume at Texas, while national champions Kate Faasse is fresh off a MAC Hermann Trophy-winning season at North Carolina. It's a mix of college players and young professionals in camp, all of whom will be eager to make a good first impression on Hayes.

  In a few years, we may look back at this camp as a starting point for a key pillar of a World Cup or Olympic team. It's a camp designed to integrate young stars to the USWNT before fully throwing them into the fire. If this process works, a new generation of rising stars could make a much smoother transition to the USWNT than in the past.

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  Vets fighting for their own spots

  This camp, by design, will introduce numerous newcomers to the USWNT. In total, there are 13 players in the senior camp with fewer than three caps. Six of them are uncapped. And then, on top of that, you have the futures camp loaded with U23 stars hoping to take the leap from young players to senior regulars. Hayes has stressed the importance of getting those players involved, not at some point down the line but right now.

  "We have to give international experiences to players," Hayes said. "But I also know our goals for this year are not necessarily the same goals for the following year, or the year after that. So of course we have to experiment with players. And you can't simply expect that a player with zero caps, or less than five caps, is going to go from being a dominant youth player to a dominant senior national team player at the highest level. I certainly saw that in the games we played against England and the Netherlands - how important it is to play top opposition."

  This isn't just about the newcomers, however. There are also multiple veterans in this team fighting to for their positions.

  Crystal Dunn is back and will take the field for the first time since September. Defenders Tierna Davidson and Emily Sonnett are still vying for their own spots in defense. Hatch, Sanchez and DeMelo have all been on the outside looking in at key points of their careers - can they use this camp to make sure that doesn't happen again?

  There's a wide spectrum of age groups and experience levels in this group, and many of the the vets have just as much to prove as the newcomers. That's the nature of a World Cup cycle. It's about weighing who can help you now vs who can help you in three years and, right now, it seems Hayes is balancing all options.